Hog catching and ringing chute



Patented Get. Z8, 1924.

JNTED ITES ist ,ne rar-snrclassics.

AUsTrN n. MAYns, or Poilogi/rrssouar.

HOG CATCHING ANI) RIl'G'Il'xTG4` CHUTE.

' Application led November 28, 1922. Serial No. 603,872.

To all whomy t may concern Y Be it known that I, AUSTIN D. MAYns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Polo, in the county of Caldwell and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in I-Iog Catching andRinging Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a hog catching and ringing chute. l

vThe object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and efficient hog catching and ringing chute of strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction adapted to catch automatically, lock and securely hold a hog while ringing or otherwise operating on the same and adapted to be readily operated; to release the hog after such operation-has been completed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter1 fully described, illustrated in the'accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of 'construction, wit-hin the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of thc invention. Y

In the drawings, in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views zy Figure 1 is an elevation of a hog catching and ringing chute constructed in accordance with this invention, the side walls of the chute or runway being in section and the doors being open.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. i

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view o vthe upper portion of the device, the doors being open.

f Figure 4 is a. similar View of the lower portion of the device, the doors being'closed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the hog catching and ringing chute comprises in its construction a vertical frame 1, constituting an end wall for a hog chute or runway 2 having spaced side walls 3. The frame and the side walls constitute a chute or enclosure and the said frame is provided with a central doorvopening and is equipped at opposite sides thereof with hinged doors 5 connected with the frame at opposite sides of the'door opening l by upper and lower hinges 6, but the doors 5 mayT be hinged to the frame in any other desired manner as may be readily understood. The Y doors are provided at their free vertical than the head ofthe hog the latter will be l securely held in the device when the `doors are closed and locked by the catchesl hereinafter described. The frame l is preferably composed of spaced vertical bars and inner and outer horizontal connecting bars 8 and 9 arranged at the upper and lower ends of the vertical bars and the outer bars 9 are of greater width than the inner bars and form stops for limiting the closing movement of the hinged doors. rIhe lower horizontal bar is provided with a longitudinal slot 10 and is reinforced at the exterior by a4 face plate 11, which is also provided with a slot 12 corresponding with the slot 10 of the lower exterior horizontal bar. The slots form a catch receiving opening in the lower portion of the frame and the lower bar 9 is beveled at the bottom of the opening to present an edOe 13 to be enO'a -ed b arcuate the said edge 13 when the doors close, whereby the doors will be automatically locked in their closed position. The catches are secured to the free edges of the doors by pivots 16 and their outer ends are provided with weights 17 adapted to cause the catches to operate by gravity in engaging the edge 13 of the frame. When the ringing or other operation is completed the doors are adapted to be readily released by the foot of a person, lifting the catches outof engagement with the edge 13'and the doors, when free to open, will automatically swing backwardly or inwardly under the action of springs 18 secured to fixed projecting bracket arms 19 mounted on the upper portions of the frame at opposite sides of the door opening and have inner angularly disposed edges 20 arranged in the path of the doors and forming stops for limiting the opening movement thereof. The combined bracket and stop arms and the springs maintain the doo-rs normally in proper position for enabling a hog to introduce his head between the doors in attempting to pass through the door opening. rlhehogs are introduced into the chute or runway one at a time and it will be clear that they will be easily caught and securely held by the device which automatically locks on a hog. lt will also be seen that when the doors are released they will open under the influence of the springs as the hog withdraws its head and they will remain open in position for engaging the neXt hog.

While the device is designed primarily for catching and ringing hogs it will be readily apparent that it may also be employed for catching and holding various other animals.

What is claimed is:

l. An animall catcher of the class described, including a trame having'a door opening, hinged doors located at opposite sides of the' door opening` and 'provided at their tree edges with corresponding recesses forming an opening for the reception of the neck of a-nanimal 'when the doors 'are closed, means for automatically locking the doors on the neck of an yanimal when the the same attempts to pass between the doors and means whereby to open the doors automatically upon manual release of the 'locking means.

2.V An animal catcher olt' the class described, including a frame having a door opening, hinged doors located at opposite sides of the door opening and provided at their free edges with corresponding recesses 'forming an opening for the reception ot' vthe neck of an animal when the doors are closed, means for yieldably holding the doors in an open position at an angle to each other, whereby the doors will be closed on the neck cgt' an animal when the saine attempts to pass between them, and means for locking the doors in their closed position, said vyieldable means also operating to open the doors automatically when the same are tree to open. Y p

3. An anii al catcher of the class Y described, including a frame having a door opening, hinged doors arranged at opposite sides of the opening` and provided at their free edges with portions for receiving the neck `vot an animal, fixed arms extending from the frame at opposite sides of the doorway and arranged to form stops for limiting the opening movement of the doors to arrange the same at an angle to each other when open, whereby'the doors will be closed by an animal in attempting to pass between them, and means for locking the doors in their closed position.

4. An animal catcher of the class described, including a frame provided with a. door opening, doors hinged to the trame at opposite sides of the opening and provided at their free edges with neck receiving portions, lixed vbrackets projecting from the trame at opposite sides of the doorway and having angularly disposed edges arranged in the path ofthe doors for limiting the opening movement of the same to cause the doors when open to be arranged at an angle to each other, yieldable means for connecting the doors with the brackets to maintain the doors in an open position and to permit the doors to be'closed by an animal, and'means for locking the doors in their closed position.

5. An animal catcher of the class described, including a frame 'having a door opening, hinged doors arranged at opposite sides of the opening and provided at their :tree edges with neck receiving portions, and arcuate catches pivoted to the free edges of the doors and having means for engaging the Vframe for automatically locking the doors in their closed position, ksaid catches having their outer portions weighted to cause the catches to positively engage the frame.

6. An animal catcher of the class described, comprising a trame having a door receiving opening and provided at the bottom thereof with a horizontal slot, doors hinged-tothe frame at opposite sidesoiC tie said opening and adapted to close ron an animal, and catches pivoted to the free edges Voit the doors and extending through the said horizontal slot andhaving weighted outer portions, said catches being adapted to automatically lock the doors in their closed position.

7. An animal catcher ot the class described, comprising a frame having a door receiving opening and provided at the bottom thereof with a horizont-al slot, ldoors hinged to the frame at opposite sides ot' the said opening and adapted to Vclose on an animal, catches pivoted to the Ifree edges oi the doors and extending through the said horizontal slot and having weighted outer portions, said catches beingradapted to automatically lock thedoors in their closed poe sition,fstops for limiting the opening movemeint-ofthe doors, and yield-ablemeans for urging the doors tor/their openV position.

In testimony whereof l have-hereunto set my hand. Y.

AUSTN D. MAYE 

